Chapter 29
Bram
You can’t outwork a bad market.
For years I’ve believed otherwise—that if I got up earlier, worked more, the orchard would hold.
But the numbers on the spreadsheet in front of me don’t care how early I got up.
Three columns of expenses. One column of projected revenue, and I padded that one to be kind to myself. They still don’t meet. Not close.
I rub the back of my neck, right where the muscle ropes up into the skull. Mom and Dad worked this land into their sixties and never once looked as wrung-out as I feel at this desk. Or if they did, they never let me catch it.
In the end, maybe it’s just better not to let the family watch you sweat.
My phone buzzes against the desk and rattles the cold mug beside it. I drag it over.
Reed.
Reed: We might need more cameras.
I sigh through my nose. Hurray, more problems.
Bram: More? We put up half a dozen after the Luna’s bag incident.
The three dots pulse. Stop. Pulse again.
Reed: Yeah, but we should probably expand the reach to cover more of the property. We just caught a teenager sabotaging the staging bay. He says someone paid him to do it. Doubt he’ll be back, but I still want better coverage out there.
The mug stops halfway to my mouth. I set it down, my jaw going tight.
Bram: Tell me what happened.
Reed: Relax. Thanks to Luna we caught him clean. She built a whole trap for it, Bram. I wish you’d seen her work...
And just like that, the tension leaves my jaw, replaced by a sudden, steady swell of pride.
Ours, my Alpha rumbles, sounding incredibly smug. Capable.
I indulge in the feeling for a beat or two, but the reality of the situation quickly settles back in.
Bram: You didn’t put her in the middle of anything dangerous though, right?
Reed: Wouldn’t dream of it. Though if anything, she’s the dangerous one.
The breath goes out of me, and a couple inches of tension go with it off the tops of my shoulders.
Bram: Did the kid say who paid him?
Reed: Some alpha in town. Thirties, brown hair. He’d never seen him around.
I sit with that. It is a strange occurrence in Honeycreek Hollow where everyone knows everyone... Maybe a competitor? Some of them are far from here so that’d make sense. Though, of course, it could also be...
Bram: Think it’s Luna’s ex?
Reed: Could be. But I’m not putting that word in front of her without something solid. No reason to wind her up over a maybe.
He’s definitely right about that...
Reed: Anyway, we’ve finished our work for today so I’m taking her into town. Burgers, then ice cream, maybe a walk. We’ll be back around 5pm, probably...
Bram: Sure, have fun.
I set the phone down.
Town, ice cream, a nice walk in the afternoon with our scent match... sounds really nice. And I must admit I feel envious he gets to do this with her while I’m here with the numbers.
I exhale a sharp breath. Anyway...
More cameras. I pull the spreadsheet back up, hunting for a budget line the money could come out of. Unsurprisingly, it turns out I’ll have to carve it from another category that was already stretched too thin.
But I’m not about to put a price tag on the orchard and the pack being safe, especially when I hope Luna will stay.
I lean back, let the office go quiet around me and let out a sigh.
I also want to share an ice cream with Luna...
Screw it.
I pick the phone back up and thumb over to Ash. It rings twice.
“What’s up.” A door shuts behind him. “Any news on how our omega’s surviving her day of shadowing Reed?”
“Let’s just say they had themselves an adventure without us,” I say, reaching over the back of the chair to grab my jacket. “What do you say we put together something chill for her when they get home, so we can all enjoy it together?”
“Oh, absolutely,” he says, the grin clear in his voice.